Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

I came home yesterday.  We left my parents house around 1pm.  We had a great drive.  My dad kept up very well with traffic.  Mom sat in the back seat and I sat in the front so I wouldn't get car sick.  I had a little nap, did some cross-stitch embroidery, and visited.  I'm tired of violin music.  6 cds of it. (sorry!)  We had a pit stop in Quartzsite for gas and their tradition of getting an oven-roasted chicken Subway sandwich and a chocolate dipped ice cream cone from Dairy Queen at the Pilot station.  Once the afternoon sun began shining in the windshield, Darla decided she wanted to sit on Grandma's lap in the back and there she stayed.

Duff met us at the rondevous point of the 10 and 91 freeways at the Hilton hotel parking lot.  We put my things in the Denali, hugged and kissed good-bye and they went on up the 215 to Auntie Tia's and we came home.  Everyone was here and we ordered some Papa John's pizza for dinner.  I threw a quick load of laundry in so Christine had something clean to wear to the stake dance and promptly fell asleep on the couch while Adrianne and Meredith watched Veronica Mars.  I didn't hear anyone leave or Duff go to pick up Chris.  Darla jumped up on the couch and startled me and that's when I realized I needed to go upstairs.

Great trip.  Got a lot done.  Glad to be home.

Denise

I don't often talk about Denise.  She is my brother's ex-wife.  But today is her birthday, and if life were different I'd have sent a card or made a phone call to wish her a special day.   But, it is what it is and I don't feel comfortable doing either of those things right now.  However, she is a great woman.  I always enjoyed her and liked her.  Every year I remember it is her birthday.  She is smart, nice, and has an infectious, unique laugh.  She is a great mother.  And I wish her lots of happiness and a great life.            Happy Birthday To You, Denise! 

We've Been On A Treasure Hunt and Discovered Gold

The main purpose of my trip to Arizona was to help my dad go through his family history and get it organized and prepared to share what he has with his family.  When his sister, Ann, passed away last month, it prompted an urgency to put this in order.  So we have been on a 'treasure hunt' and discovered 'gold'!

On a visit many years ago before my grandmother passed away, my dad was looking at some old photos in some albums of hers.  She asked him if he would like to have them.  He said sure, but didn't anybody else want them?  She told him, no.  So he brought them home.  Now this story is a great learning experience for this reason:  People may say they don't want something at the time, but later on they do and their children might.  Which is the case with many family things we are finding on both sides of my parents families.  This is a GOOD thing, because the spirit of Elijah is working and the hearts of the children really are turning to their fathers.  So now is the time to copy, scan, organize and share so everyone can have everything.

These albums have been 'missing' from the family up north.  Thank goodness my dad had them.  This is in the beginning of him removing all the photos from those sticky page albums one by one.  It really took some doing for quite a few of them.  Patience was the key to this part of the process.  It took 3 days to take them out!  And then another day and a half for him to go through them and put them in order by family, date, and event.

Slowly, one at a time.  Thankfully, most were not too deteriorated.

I took this close-up so I could capture my dad's hands and his pocket-knife.  The knife goes with him everywhere in his pants pocket.  It's always been this way.

Here is my grandfather's Book of Remembrance.

My brother had it.  No one knows how he came to have it, but he did.  When he and his wife got divorced a few years ago, he didn't take it with him.  Denise found it when she was cleaning out some things in the trailer they had used for the business office.  We are so grateful she boxed it up and mailed it to my mom and dad!  It would have been so easy to have tossed in a bitter moment.

Look at the cover.  Those were the only temples at the time he put this together!  Wouldn't he love how many there are today?!  It also shows his handwriting and address at the time.

Here are some of the treasures we found inside!  LOTS of geneology.  Birth, marriage ceritficates.  Mission call, release signed personally by David O. McKay.  All of his priesthood ordination certificates, high school graduation program and certificate, lots more of those things, many letters issuing callings in the church.  I guess that's how they did that back then.  Pictures of him playing basketball in high school.  And SO MUCH MORE!  He had a giant picture of Dodger Stadium in it. I recall that when they lived in southern California that he just loved the Dodgers.  He would go to their games and watch them faithfully on tv.  And that says something, because he wasn't a big tv watcher.

Here are some journals we found in another cubpoard.

The one on the left is his personal journal beginning in the 1980's.

The one on the right is the journal of their senior mission to what at the time was the Northern Indian Mission and took in the states of Montana and the Dakotas in the mid 1960's.

My grandfather had this 'stamp' of his name.  He was always very proud of his name and his heritage.  This is inside the front cover of his personal journal.

This is the inside front cover of their mission journal.  My grandmother started it, and it appears that my grandpa finished it.  One of their mission addresses.

Now we need to find a place that replicates journals like this.  So everyone can have one.  I love the little details like the penmanship, splotches, etc.  Does anybody know of anything out there like that?

My dad's next project is to scan all the pictures in and journal about them.  This will be a new technology skill for him.  He is nervous but excited to do it.  I wish we lived closer so I could be more of a consistent help, but it is what it is.  It causes me some frustration because I feel an urgency to get it squared away. 

We mailed off the complete copies of the Book of Remembrance to my cousins and to my dad's brother.  They should receive them Monday afternoon.  I feel really good about getting that to them.  Now they can copy and share with their families.

I'm coming to realize that Duff and I need to do these things now.  Get our personal and family histories organized and up to date.  It's a lot of work to backtrack and get it done.  As I thought about my blogging, I'm more determined to get each year printed out into a bound book.  This is a great form for our history.

Eire Flinzen

I woke up the other day to the smell of Eire Flinzen.

This took me back to when I was a little girl.

Eire Flinzen is a little german pancake similar to a crepe.

You mix the batter in a blender and pour a small amount into a hot prepared pan.

Swish it just a little.  Not too much.  These are not crepes.  See all the little bubbles in them?

Flip them over for just a few seconds more.  Yummy golden color.

A stack ready to eat.

Sprinkle just a wee bit of sugar on them.

Then spread with applesauce.  This is my mom's homemade applesauce that she cans.  She adds red hots to the batch.  They give a nice pink color and some cinnamon!  She learned that trick from my dad's mother.

Roll up and enjoy!

They just melt in your mouth.

Eire Flinzen Recipe

Eire Flinzen

3 eggs

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp sugar

dash salt

1 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine

Put all ingredients in a blender.  Blend for 1-2 minutes.

Heat skillet until medium hot.  Add a little butter or shortening (a knife tip's worth) to pan and melt.  Immediately pour in some batter.  About 1/8 of a cup.  Flip when edges look a little dry.  Continue to cook on other side for a few seconds.

Place on plate.  Off-set stack while you are cooking them so they stay warm.

Serve with sugar and applesauce or toppings of your choice.

Makes about 10.

Roly Poly John

Go to Natalie's blog.  She has a video of John rolling over.  So cute.

What We're Doing

My stay so far in AZ has been good.  We have found that this family history project for my dad's family is quite a bit more involved and lengthy than we had anticipated.  Note to self:  get organized now!  That being said, it has been great to be working on.  I feel my ancestors near.  I feel a connection.  Like I never have before.  My dad has been very emotional.  I think he feels it too.  He has remembered so many stories.  I am at a loss as to how to get him to put these to paper.  He doesn't type.  He doesn't know how to use a computer.  He has my mom do all of that.  A single picture prompts an hours reminiscing.  I live far away and can't come over everyday for a little while to do it in stages.  I'm feeling wonderful and frustrated all in the same emotion.

I have been taking a few pictures along the way.  I'll post later, but for now we are off to the copy store to do some serious stuff!

Dress Up

You are never too old to play 'dress up'.  I think it's a part of every female.

Last Saturday when Christine got to Grandma's she noticed her wedding gown hanging on a hook on the den door.  She was so excited!  She asked if she could try it on, and you know how Grandma's always oblige!

So here they are in the entry way admiring the dress and the girl in the dress!

The story of my mom's wedding dress goes like this:  She saw it in the newspaper.  It was a photoshoot at Griffeth Park.  The one on the model was pastel pink.  It is a Cahill Original.  The shop was in Huntington Park, California, and the clerk let her know there were only 10 made.  She tried it on and it was THE one!  She got it in white and they did some lining for the sleeves and bodice.  Mom was going to give it away to the Deseret Industries.  I think we all helped her decide to get it cleaned, boxed, and preserved instead.  What a gem.

Chrissy, it is a perfect fit.  You are gorgeous!
Check out the lily-point sleeves.

It is still a timeless dress today.  Unlike mine which is completely 70's trendy.

Look at what good condition it is in for being 55 years old!

She wore it with a big poofy slip and boostier.

Christine felt like a bride.

Duff walked by.

He didn't like it one bit!

The Peeps Have Grown Up

The Peeps have grown up.  My, how they have grown!  They are producing the same amount or more eggs every day as the Girls and Ladies.

The Peeps coup is not as high as the Girls and Ladies, so I crawled in to shoot some pictures.  They wondered what the camera was.

This is Chatterbox.  I named her when she was just a little chick.  She is true to her name:  she just cheeps, cheeps, cheeps!  She is very sweet and loves to be held and cuddled.  Who would have ever thought chickens would be like that, but she is.  When my mom comes in with scratch, she will stand there and only eat it out of her hand.  If Mom doesn't get it down to her quick enough, Chatterbox will jump up on her arm!

Christine is in the background feeding them their scratch.  The rest are all huddled around the water cooler.  When we got there it was empty and they were VERY thirsty!

They keep an old plastic bottle on top of the water cooler so the chickens don't sit on top and poop into their trough.

We brought Darla with us to see what she would think.  She couldn't have cared less.  BUT, the Peeps and the Girls were scared to death of her.  We finally had to pick her up so they wouldn't be frightened. 

They LOVE greens.  Any and all.  It is like their dessert.  They can't get enough.  And they stand there and give you the business until you get it in their dish.

But all of those greens, grain, and scratch give THESE amazing eggs.

The average count for the day is between 21 to 28.  Yes.  A DAY!

Chatterbox and my mom cuddling.  Look how she puts her head into my mom's chest.  Pretty amazing.

This California White doesn't have a name, but they are not generally as friendly as the Araconna's (sp).  Mom is trying to work with her.  She's getting better. 

We go over to the chickens every day except Sunday.  Gather eggs, rake, add straw, shavings, feed, and water.  They are very quiet when we first come in the yard.  Then my mom will start calling out to them, "Girls!  Peeps!  We're here!  How are you today?!"  And they just start squaking away and run to the closest part of their coops crowding all around to get to her.  Then my dad walks over and takes care of their business and holds them.

Can I have some chickens at my house too?

Sariah's Blessing Day

It was a cold rainy day in Arizona.  We've never been to AZ in March.  It gave us a different perspective of the heat we normally visit.

Little Sariah was blessed this morning.

Christine loves babies and she is really good with them.  It seems to come naturally to her.

This is her gown.  A family friend has hand crocheted one for each of the girls.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  We went back to their house for a taco salad lunch and visiting.

We love you Slades!

Duff, Chris, Josh, Mere left after Auntie's Sunday roast beef dinner.  I am staying the week to help my dad with some family history pictures and documents.

Rosie The Bird

A trip to Arizona is never complete without pictures of Mr. Rosie.  He got his name because his cheeks are so  'rosey'!  He is no different than Darla:  he does not know he is a Cockatiel.  He thinks he is human.  He sits on the top of the shower door when my dad takes a shower and just sings.  He rides in the car on his shoulder.  Rosie loves to give kisses and then say his prayers.  While his head is bowed, you are required to rub his neck or he will let you know about it!

Mr. Rosie loves people food.  Christine is feeding him a cracker.  Oh, does he love to make a mess!

We will have to bury him and my dad together!

Honeyville vs. Willow Manor

Today we were up bright and early to go to the Honeyville Grain Store.

I was very impressed.  We went to the one in Arizona, but I 'borrowed' these pictures from a preparedness blog and they are from the store in Rancho Cucumonga, California.  Either way, it is pretty much the same except that the store in Cali seems to be a bit bigger.

They were very accomodating and helpful.  They have a sample of just about everything they carry so you can taste it and decide for yourself.  I have ordered powdered eggs from the RC store and they are really good.  Now that I have had a 'visual', I feel more confident in ordering from them without having to go.  They have a flat shipping fee of $4.99 no matter how much/little or to wherever! That is a good deal considering it would cost more than that in gas and time for me to drive there. The dehydrated and freeze-dried products were amazing.

I got some bananas, peaches, GRAPES, (probably my favorite.  They were amazing even w/o being reconstituted), green onions, sausage, beef chunks, broccoli, and corn.  I must tell you:  the broccoli and corn were like having fresh.  I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen and tasted it myself.

They helped all of us--Me, Mom, Lisa, and Kristin--load up our cars.  We headed over to check out the Cracker Barrel store (lots of fun things but we just looked), and then to Der Weinerschnitzel for a hot dog.   Grandma, Auntie, and I ate in the car and reminiscsed about Torrance days when we would go to the one up on the corner of Anza and Torrance Blvd.  It was just like the song from Chicago:  Old Days.  Good Times I Remember....All we needed was the breeze blowing off the ocean!

Auntie had a coughing attack from her allergies and sinus infection so we made a brief stop at her house so she could medicate and then went with her to Costco and Fry's.  I wish our Costco was this close to our house!  They just pop in for one or two things if they want to.

Lisa made a great corned beef and cabbage dinner with all the trimmings.  Duff and Craig went and picked up Josh, Meredith, and Christine from the airport, and Darla was wiggling all over with delight that most of her family was there.  We were missing Shaun, Mike and Adrianne.

Funny note:  When Duff and I were driving out on Friday, he asked me what all the fuss about going to Honeyville was about.  "Cindy, we don't need one more craft or decoration thing.  You've been throwing things away, remember?"  "What do you mean?", I asked him.  "Just what is this Honeyville place?"  he said.  "It's a food storage store."  I informed.  "OH!  I thought it was like a Willow Manor!" (the local gift/accessory/specialty shop), he exclaimed, relieved.  We had a good laugh!

Hahahahahaha!